Diet & Fitness Extravaganza

As some of you know (because we like to brag), Shane and I have been on a sort of diet and fitness regimen since we moved to California nearly seven months ago.  It has been such a great experience for us and unlike most crash diets and fitness fads, it actually seems to be a sustainable lifestyle change.  I'm here to share with you what we're doing and how it's working out (pun intended)!

Diet

If you've met either of us, you know that Shane and I often have a weakness for unhealthy foods.  No, it's not your typical potato chip once-you-pop-you-can't-stop weakness, ours is more about pastas in rich, creamy sauces and olive oil-laden potatoes and breads.  I just started drooling...  Anyways, we made the decision that in order to be "allowed" our normal dinners at night, we'd eat lighter during the day.

I've always been a fruit fanatic so a fruit salad was an obvious choice for us.  We all learned in 2nd grade that we're supposed to have five servings of fruit every day, and Shane and I get it all in what we lovingly refer to as our "bucket 'o fruit."  It usually includes some combination of red apple, green apple, orange, banana, grapes, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, papaya, pineapple, and kiwi.

SO delicious, but I won't dare share with you our monthly fruit budget
(it's scary, but so worth it!)

Shane is a bit more committed to the diet than I am, mostly because he feels he has more weight to lose than I do (for the record, I think he's perfect just the way he is!) so the fruit salad is all that he eats until dinner.  My body, however, is really sensitive to drops in blood sugar so I usually snack throughout the day.  At first I tried eating raw foods only since they contain more nutrients, but there's only so many carrot sticks and cucumber slices a girl can eat before she goes crazy.  Now I've gotten a little more creative and a little less strict so I take something light and mostly-raw like a caprese salad or shrimp ceviche, plus I graze on nuts and the occasional hard boiled egg for protein.  We're both completely happy with the change in diet, and we don't even crave anything during the day because we know we'll be having something delicious like french bread pizza or chicken alfredo for dinner (and Chef Shane never disappoints!).

Fitness

The fitness regime isn't really anything special.  We joined a gym and we do an hour-long workout 3 days a week.  Shane strictly does cardio and KILLS IT on the elliptical, burning between 700 and 1000 calories depending on the intensity of his workout.

I get a little bored if I spend too much time on one machine, so I usually rotate between the Arc Trainer (very similar to the elliptical, but easier on the knees), the inclined treadmill, the bike, and the stair-climber, and I also try to incorporate a few minutes of weight training.  I usually burn between 450 and 750 calories.

I also recently started attending a fitness class once a week.  My class of choice is called The Dailey Method.  TDM was started here in San Francisco (I attend class at their flagship studio) and it's basically a hybrid of ballet barre work, yoga, and Pilates so they focus on strengthening your core through various isometric exercises.  It's the most amazing workout I've ever had (beware of coming to visit us-- I'll probably drag you to a class with me!). 

Both of us have noticed considerable changes in our bodies.  Shane has lost serious inches from his waist, not to mention how strong and toned his calves have become (a true testament to the power of the elliptical!). I am mostly noticing improvement in the muscle tone in my arms, legs, and abs. In total I have lost 7 pounds and Shane has lost nearly 25!




So there you have it!  It turns out that it's true what the doctors have been saying all these years -- it's all about diet and exercise.  We still have more work to do, a few more pounds to lose, a little more muscle tone to gain, but we're definitely making progress!